Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-02-11
TIE RED SCAR.

San Pablo interested me. II was
sleepy old Spanish village, with big
cathedral, a collection of the usual adobe
houses around it, and a back
ground of snow capped mountains rising
boldly from a landscame of torrid
summer heats.
IL was here that met with the most
puzzling experience of my life.
was returning from a solitary ride
among the hills.
The declining sun warned me that
darkness would overtake me if | did not
make haste, but / could see in the dis
tance the massive towers of the cathedral
felt no uneasiness.
AZ one place my lonely road or mule
path skrted deep rayine, which was SO
choked up with thick, scrubby under
growth that | was unable to see any
thing but tangled mass of foliage and
vines.
"A good place for an ambush" said to
myself.
THE idea impressed me so that |
spurIed my mule, but, to my surprise,
the usually docile animal stood stock
still
"Senor"
The voice rang ont from the depths of
tho rayine, but it seemed to be at my
ear.
"Senor, halt"
As 1 halted, ON account of my mules
tbstinacy, the command was unneces-
sary.
stand aside!" / shouted. "and let me
pass"
Just then | saw protruding out of the
bushes in front of me the muzzle of an
old fashioned blunderbuss, n fint-lock
old weapon in very general use in Yucca
tan.
shudder ran down my spinal col
umn.
| WAS unarmed, and the hluHderb uss
was about tho size of Il small cannon. Re
sistance was not to be thought of.
81 will surrender" / cried to my unseen
foe.
The senior is sensible" said the man
with the big gum as he leaped into the
road.
A rapid bat close scrutiny of my captor
showed me young man of medium
height, whose 1.-the, sinewy figure indi-
Gated exceptional activity and strength.
lie wore ii homespun cotton suit, and the
face under his sombero had the brown
tluge common to all the Yucatantese who
were Of mixed Spanish and Indian blood.
The mans right TEN pie was distigured by
Il peculiar scar, shaped like n crescent
and Of fiery red color. Beyond this scar
there was nothing remarkable about his
face. lie had regular features, thin,
cruel lips and rostes eyes like beads of
Jet
Il will hold up my hands and you can
go through me-" said pleasantly. You
don't want the mule. do your
"Ghe senor il wrong. | do want the
mule, y replied the robber, in quiet.
self POSSESSED tone. The senior will have
the kindness to disinount and hold up his
hands"
As there was no use in wasting words, |
obeyed without objection.
The robber with quick jerk drew my
hands behind me and pinioned them with
a strip of rawhide. Then he bound me
securely TO Il tree. After finishing these
proliminaries he emptied my pockets of
the loose silver in them.
"ls that all, senorY" he asked, in deep
disgust.
"All have" | answered,
The senior has my sympathy" said the
rascal with vicious grim. But the mule
Is something"
Tho rohber turned my steed to the
right about and then jumped into the
saddle.
Let the senior be patient" he said rs
he rode OF Some traveller will release
him, and II In not far to San Pablo. Give
Francisco's compliments to the acade
Adios senior"
And waving his hand he disappeared
around the bend in the road
So this was tho noted highwaymau
Francisco, for whose head the Governor
had offered heavy reward
There wes consolation in the thought
no one would blame me for surrendering
60 daredevil who was considered
match for any three men in Yucatan.
But my train of thought was soon inter-
rupted III pleasing manner. Francisco
had been gone perhaps quarter of an
hour when muleteer made his appear
ance leading his little burro along the
narrow path. Hailing the stranger, in
ducec him TO cut my bonds and release
me. The mcleteer told me that | escaped
lightly. lie gave Francisco very black
character.
"If this place had not been in sight of
San Pablo" said he, the cut-throat would
have killed you"
The next morning the little town of
San Pablo was III the state OF eruption.
Men, women and children rushed peu-
nell througthe street tutoring ells. | look
ed out Of the window several times, but
could nrt make up my mind whether it
was revolution or holiday.
| threw myself on the bed and tried to
get into doZe, and was succeeding when
tho alcnde rushed into my room with a
bevy of his retainers and pulled me into
a sitting posture.
The senator's commands have been
obeyed, said the alcaede, excitedly. THE
dog of a bandit has been arrested, and
will be tried before me Mt once. But we
need the senator's testimony. Without
the senator we can do nothing"
IL took me almost no time to dress and
accompany the little brown alcaede and
his browner alguazils to the pretentious
stone edihce on the plaza called the pal
nee of justice.
| had never seen criminal trial in
Mexican court, and everything was new
20 me.
The alcalde presided with great dignity.
He was assisted by prosecuting officer,
and several advocates, as they call their
l2wyears, were also on hand. The court
room was filed with a crowd of eager
spectators, all talking, swearing aud
shaking their fists at the prisoner The
robber, Francisco, was the most uncon-
cerned looking man in the crowd. Sur
rounded by alguazils, he was not hand
cufed, and when he saw me he smiled and
made me polite bow.
The proceedings dragged all through
the weary day.
My limited knowledge OF the language
made it impossible for me to follow
everything that was said, but / under
stood that an effort was being made to
prove an alibi.
Three men, with rather honest faces,
swore that at & O'Clock on the previous
evening they had imbibed pulo ne with
Francisco at little village twenty miles
west of San Pablo. If they told the truth
of course my robber could not have been
Francisco.
1t irritated me to see so much impor-
tance attached to the alihi and to nv
cause because / had been led to believe
that the prisoner would be held ANYHOW,
rs he was wanted for other crimes. and a
big reward had been offered for him. |
was told, however, that in Yucatan a pris-
oner, when he demands a trial, must be
tried or released inside of twelve hours
In order to hold him, therefore, the
San Pablo authorities had to make the
most of my evidence.
The alibi business worried the old al
calde not little. The three witnesses
who swore 20 meeting Francisco on the
Il x-rI -